CdA Lake Management Plan wins funding

The Coeur d’Alene Lake Management Plan will be funded one way or another, Idaho state lawmakers declared today. The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted unanimously in favor of a budget for the state Department of Environmental Quality for next year that includes an either-or: Either the state will spend $332,500 from its water pollution control account to start implementing the lake plan, or a federal grant will cover the full amount. Overall, the budget for DEQ next year would see a 20.4 percent drop in state general funds, but a 12.4 percent boost in total funding, thanks to the federal stimulus. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.